Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-06-02
THE WITNESS.

Seth Damon, of Acton, instituted al
action at law against Gabriel Butter
worth Of the same town for the recoy
/ cry of $4,000 of which he claimee
that the said Butterworth had de.
trauded him. The circumstances were
these
Butterworth owned and kept the
principal store in Acton, and though
ne had never been regarded as an ex.
emplary gentleman his honor in busi-
ness had not been impugned. Those
who had the faculty ofs looking .psa
the undercurrents of human action
decided that he was not a man bound
by honor, but who understood the
laws Of self interest too we'll to be
guilty of small meannesses in busi-
ness. What he was capable of doing
on grand scale was not mooted un-
til the occurrence of which am about
to speak.
Seth Damon had removed from Ed,
son to Acton in the Fall and had
purchased the iron works. Shortly
alter concluding the purchase he had
payment of $4,000 to make and
late on Saturday afternoon he ar
rived from New York with the money.
a part of it in bank notes and part
of 1t in gold. When he arrived he
found that the parties to whom the
money was to be paid had left town
and would rot return until Monday.
Mr.. Butterworth had the only relia-
bic safety vaalt in town, and to him
Damon took the $4,000, asking per-
mission to lodge it in his vaul: over
the Sabbath which permission was
readily and cheerfully granted.
During Sunday night the people of
the village were aroused by the alarm
OF FIRE; and upon starting out it was
found that the alarm came from But
terworth's store, but Mr.. Butterworth
had been active. He had discovered
the fire in season, and, with the assis-
tance Of his boys had put it out be-
fore much damage had been done. /
was found that the fire had not only /
been the work Of an incendiary, but /
that it had been set IN several differ
ent places.
How fortunate" said the owner.
that ! discovered it in season.
But very soon another discovery
was made.
The safety vault had been broken
open and every dollar it had contain
ed stolen, Here was alarm and con-
Mr.. Butterworth seemed
about to go crazy.
For myself | care not" he cried.
"A few hundred were all | had in
there; but my friend had great
sum"
Immediately search for the robber
or robbers was instituted, and word
was sent far and near to all sheritfs
and their deputies and to the police
of the cities.
Now it had so happened that on
that very Sunday evening or | may
say Sunday night l, John Watson,
had been returning from my brothers
in Dunstable. l had left my hired
team at the stable and on my way to
my boarding house passed the store
of Mr.. Butterworth. In the back
yard of the store was a horse trough,
and, being thirsty, l stepped around
that way to get draught of water.
As ! stopped to drink at the spout Of
the fountain saw a gleam of light
through crevice in the shutters of
one of the store windows.
Curiosity impelled me to go and
peer through for wondered who
could be in there at that hour Of a
Sunday night. The crevice was quite
large, made by wearing away of the
edges of the shutters where they had
been caught by the hooks that held
them back when open and through it
l looked in upon the wall within
which the safety vault was built and
saw the vault open and Gabriel But
terwoTth at work therein.
l saw him put packages into his
breast pocket and l saw him bring
out two or three small canvass bags
and set them on the floor by the door
that opened toward his dwelling, A
saw him approaching this outer dOol
second time ] thought he NIGH
come out, aud l went away. 1t wa.
an hour afterwari that l heard th'
alarm Of fire. Ii was not until th'
following morning that | heard OF tn
robbery of the safe,
Twas placed in critical position
but | had duty to perform. | wen
to Mr.. Damon, and told him what